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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27570973">Peaceful Supports</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crazy_Pairing_Person/pseuds/TheShipChildren'>TheShipChildren (Crazy_Pairing_Person)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>3 Houses Second-Gen OC Supports [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - No War (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Bisexual Female Character, Bisexual Male Character, Character Development, Childhood Friends, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gay Male Character, Gen, Humor, LGBTQ Themes, Lesbian Character, Light Angst, Light-Hearted, M/M, Nonbinary Character, OC-centric, Original Character(s), Original Support Conversations (Fire Emblem), Other, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Pansexual Character, Peace, S-Support (Fire Emblem), Support Conversations (Fire Emblem), Trans Character, Trans Female Character, Trans Male Character</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 20:41:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,639</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27570973</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crazy_Pairing_Person/pseuds/TheShipChildren</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Or, in other words, "I wanted to write about my second-gen Three Houses OCs".</p><p>~</p><p>Read the first chapter for what child(ren) belong to which ships.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Original Female Character(s) &amp; Original Female Character(s), Original Female Character(s) &amp; Original Male Character(s), Original Female Character(s)/Original Female Character(s), Original Female Character(s)/Original Male Character(s), Original Female Character(s)/Original Non-Binary Character(s), Original Male Character(s) &amp; Original Male Character(s), Original Male Character(s)/Original Male Character(s), Original Male Character(s)/Original Non-Binary Character(s), Original Non-Binary Character(s) &amp; Original Male Character(s), Original Non-Binary Character(s) &amp; Original Non-Binary Character(s), Original Non-Binary Character(s)/Original Non-Binary Character(s), Original Non-binary Character(s) &amp; Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>3 Houses Second-Gen OC Supports [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2015326</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Shipkid Basics</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This entire thing is just for me, but also in case anyone wants to read this and it isn't me, I figured I should put this up before anything else.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Annabella von Hresvelg</strong>
</p><p>Parents - Edelgard and Dorothea</p><p>Gender - Cis Female (she/her)</p><p>Orientation - Pan</p><p>House - Black Eagles</p><p>
  <strong>Voide von Vestra</strong>
</p><p>Parents - Hubert and Ferdinand</p><p>Gender - Cis Female (she/her)</p><p>Orientation - Ace/Pan</p><p>House - Black Eagles</p><p>
  <strong>Josie Maudel</strong>
</p><p>Parents - Linhardt and Caspar</p><p>Gender - Cis Female (she/her)</p><p>Orientation - Lesbian</p><p>House - Black Eagles</p><p>
  <strong>Rin Macneary</strong>
</p><p>Parents - Petra and Ashe</p><p>Gender - Nonbinary (they/them or ze/zir)</p><p>Orientation - Pan</p><p>House - Black Eagles</p><p>
  <strong>Wethera Tia Blaiddyd</strong>
</p><p>Parents - Dimitri and Claude</p><p>Gender - Cis Female (she/her)</p><p>Orientation - Pan</p><p>House - Blue Lions</p><p>
  <strong>Zennith Arrin Galatea</strong>
</p><p>Parents - Ingrid and Dedue</p><p>Gender - Trans Male (he/him)</p><p>Orientation - Pan</p><p>House - Blue Lions</p><p>
  <strong>Allryn Mika Gautier</strong>
</p><p>Parents - Sylvain and Felix</p><p>Gender - Cis Male (he/him)</p><p>Orientation - Pan</p><p>House - Blue Lions</p><p>
  <strong>Erran Glenn Gautier</strong>
</p><p>Parents - Sylvain and Felix</p><p>Gender - Cis Male (he/him)</p><p>Orientation - Gay</p><p>House - Blue Lions</p><p>
  <strong>Petunia Emily Dominic</strong>
</p><p>Parents - Annette and Mercedes</p><p>Gender - Cis Female (she/her)</p><p>Orientation - Lesbian</p><p>House - Blue Lions</p><p>
  <strong>Lobelle Aurora Gloucester</strong>
</p><p>Parents - Lorenz and Leonie</p><p>Gender - Cis Female (she/her)</p><p>Orientation - Pan</p><p>House - Golden Deer</p><p>
  <strong>Azen Victor</strong>
</p><p>Parents - Ignatz and Raphael</p><p>Gender - Agender (they/them)</p><p>Orientation - Ace/Pan</p><p>House - Golden Deer</p><p>
  <strong>Pria Belle Goneril</strong>
</p><p>Parents - Hilda and Marianne</p><p>Gender - Trans Female (she/her)</p><p>Orientation - Pan</p><p>House - Golden Deer</p><p>
  <strong>Kaiman Freyl Goneril</strong>
</p><p>Parents - Hilda and Marianne</p><p>Gender - Cis Male</p><p>Orientation - Pan</p><p>House - Golden Deer</p><p>
  <strong>Lysin</strong>
</p><p>Parents - Cyril <strike>and Lysithea</strike>*</p><p>Gender - Nonbinary (they/them or ze/zir)</p><p>Orientation - Ace/Aro</p><p>House - Golden Deer</p><p>
  <strong>Mae</strong>
</p><p>Parents - Yuri and Balthus</p><p>Gender - Cis Female (she/her)</p><p>Orientation - Pan</p><p>House - Ashen Wolves</p><p>
  <strong>Lyba von Nuvelle</strong>
</p><p>Parents - Constance and Hapi</p><p>Gender - Nonbinary (she/her, they/them or ze/zir)</p><p>Orientation - Demi</p><p>House - Ashen Wolves</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*With Lysin, Lysithea technically died a bit before Cyril found and adopted them, but since Cyril was in a relationship with her before, he refers to her as their mom and so they consider her to be their mom as well.</p><p>Anyway, this here's just to give yall the absolute bare-minimum information - IE, who had kids with who, what houses those kids are in, and possible romantic connections (obviously Petunia won't have any S supports with any of the male characters, for instance, and same for Erran with female characters) - but not absolutely everything. Save some stuff for the actual supports, right?</p><p>I'll be posting the first support chain soon :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Annabella & Voide - C-S</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>C Support</strong>
</p>
<p>"Voide?" Annabella folds her hands demurely behind her back, a sugar-sweet smile on her face. "How do you feel about having some tea with me?"</p>
<p>Voide raises one brow, her face utterly blank. "If you want me to make you some tea, your highness, you need only ask. Inviting me to have some with you is unnecessary."</p>
<p>Annabella's eyes widen, and her cheeks flush pink. "I... I really do want to have some with you, though," she defends herself.</p>
<p>Voide hums and tilts her head, her bangs shifting in front of her face, almost letting Annabella catch sight of the second amber eye hidden behind them. "Oh?" she says, still not giving away what she's thinking. "Then, do you believe you would be capable of making it yourself? I'm rather tired at the moment..."</p>
<p>Annabella pauses, but gives a slow nod. "Of course," she says. "I'm not so dependent on you that I could not make tea on my own."</p>
<p>"Wonderful," Voide drawls, the barest hint of a smirk tugging at her lip. "Then let us go to my room. I have all of the necessities... Unless you've got the pot, cups, leaves, snacks-"</p>
<p>"Your room is fine," Annabella says, almost too quickly, giving away her steadily-rising panic. "Erm... Lead the way, Voide."</p>
<p>"Of course, Lady Ann."</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>B Support</strong>
</p>
<p>Annabella gives a low hum as she looks over all of the merchant's wares. However, it seems nothing he has is of interest to her, because she shakes her head. "No, none of these will do... Do you have anything more bitter?"</p>
<p>"Let me check," the merchant says. "I'll be right back."</p>
<p>As the merchant walks off to wherever he keeps his other tea leaves, Voide approaches Annabella, ever-so-slowly from behind. When she's not noticed, Voide simply sighs, and the sound draws a high-pitched, panicked yelp from the Imperial princess. The girl spins around in a panic, though she visibly calms herself when she sees that it's only her dear friend.</p>
<p>"What may you be doing here, Lady Ann?" Voide asks, her voice, per the norm, not giving away her emotions. "Had I known you intended to come here today, I'd have come with you. I had things to buy here myself."</p>
<p>"Um." Annabella shifts nervously. "I was just, um. Looking."</p>
<p>"Hm..." Voide doesn't let on whether or not she believes this, and continues on, "Well, I'm here to buy more tea leaves. I figured you may want to come over again one day, and I felt it prudent to have a surplus of them."</p>
<p>"Oh! Um, how kind! But really, Voide, there's no need for-"</p>
<p>"Ah! Here we are! Miss, will these leaves do?"</p>
<p>Annabella yelps yet again, though not as loudly, and spins right back around to gauge the leaves the merchant has brought this time. "Ah... Yes, yes, these will do nicely." She doesn't seem to even really look at the label - she just throws down money, far too much for one tin of tea leaves, and snatches the tin up. Before anyone can say anything else, she's all but running out of the market.</p>
<p>After a beat, Voide sighs. "I apologize for her," she says to the merchant, calm as ever. "She gets frazzled <em>quite</em> easily."</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>A Support</strong>
</p>
<p>Voide watches as her best friend flutters about, making their tea with absolutely no input from the one who would usually be making it. For more than one good reason, too. "You know, if either of my fathers heard that you were making me tea, they'd have my head."</p>
<p>Annabella laughs at the comment, shaking her head in amusement. "I doubt that," she says. "You are their little Shadow Princess. They would never kill you just because you allowed me to make you tea." Voide simply hums at this, giving no other comment. As Annabella seems to be deciding that the tea is done steeping, she raises the pot up to pour some in Voide's cup. "Besides, if they ever wanted to, I'm sure I could convince my mother to overrule them."</p>
<p>"Edelgard von Hresvelg, esteemed Emperor of Adrestia, throwing her two most trusted and important advisors into a dungeon, just because her daughter asked her to," Voide murmured. She smirks. "Oddly enough, I can see it happening."</p>
<p>Annabella squeaks, and the tea sloshes, but doesn't spill. "I-I never said anything about a dungeon!" she squeals, gently setting the pot back down. "Honestly, Voide, why do all of your punishment ideas involve dungeons?"</p>
<p>"Because it's not a punishment if it's not in a dungeon. House arrest is basically just an extended vacation, and exile is basically just telling them to go away, like a child. Dungeons are dungeons."</p>
<p>Annabella sighs, and nudges the teacup closer to Voide. "If you say so... Let's move on from punishments, though. Tell me what you think?" She perks up visibly. "I think you'll like the leaves I picked!"</p>
<p>Voide hums, and lifts the cup to her lips. She gives a careful sniff. "Dagdan Fruit Blend?" she guesses.</p>
<p>"Ah, yes! I remember you'd said that you liked bitter teas, and that's the most bitter one I could find..."</p>
<p>Voide sips it, and has to hold back a pleased hum at the taste. "It's quite well-made, Lady Ann. You certainly know how to make tea to another's liking..."</p>
<p>"More likely, it's just you," Annabella admits. "But I'm glad that I made it well!"</p>
<p>"Hm, you did." Voide takes another sip, then delicately lowers her cup. A silent beat passes, then she finally says, "Are you going to force yourself to drink it, or will you be making a sweeter tea for yourself?"</p>
<p>"Oh, uh..." Annabella blinks and looks down at her own empty cup, as if having forgotten that she was meant to drink some too. "I... I will... Uh..."</p>
<p>"I have a spare pot," Voide offers. "And extra leaves. If you'd like them."</p>
<p>Annabella hesitates for just a moment before giving a slow nod. "Yes, please..."</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>S Support</strong>
</p>
<p>"If you keep making tea, my reason for being will soon cease to exist," Voide reminds Annabella, an amused smile tugging at her lips. "Well, until you take the throne, of course."</p>
<p>"Ha... Very funny, Voide," Annabella responds, rolling her eyes with a smile. She lifts the pot and pours a cup for Voide as she continues, "I would want you around, even if you could not do anything for me. So you mustn't talk like that."</p>
<p>Voide gives a low chuckle. "My fathers would not stand for that... 'If you must be around Lady Annabella, you must provide some use for her', they'd say."</p>
<p>"Would they really say such a thing?" Annabella asks, lowering the pot to the table once more, concern glinting in her eyes. "I've always thought they adored you..."</p>
<p>"They do," Voide says, shaking her head. "But they are loyal to the throne first and foremost. I do not doubt that, if I were to abandon my status as your advisor in the future, they would seek me out for my head."</p>
<p>Annabella's jaw drops. "Wha-?! No! I will not stand for that! If they serve the throne above you, then I will use the throne to force them to- to-!"</p>
<p>"Throw them in the dungeon?" Voide asks wryly.</p>
<p>"Exactly!" Annabella's palms slap down on the table. "I'll not stand for anyone harming you, Voide! Anyone!"</p>
<p>A silence drops between them as they both realize the implications of that declaration. A bright pink springs to the princess's cheeks, and, ever the stoic one, Voide simply raises her eyebrows.</p>
<p>"Anyone, you say?" she gives a dry chuckle and leans her chin on her hand, watching Annabella's every reaction. "One would normally declare such a thing to the one they love, Lady Ann. You mustn't give a girl false hope."</p>
<p>"I..." Annabella's hands clench into fists on top of the table, and her jade-green eyes lower to her still-empty cup. "I am not. Giving you false hope, I mean."</p>
<p>The silence returns. After a few moments, Voide releases a breath, and another chuckle. However, Annabella tentatively lifts her gaze, only to see that Voide is avoiding meeting it for once. "I see," she whispers, eyes focused intently on the tea in her own cup. "How fortunate, then."</p>
<p>"F-fortunate...?"</p>
<p>"Well, yes. Considering..." She pauses, then says, "Well, let's say that the sentiment is mutual, Lady Ann."</p>
<p>After a beat, where Annabella slowly realizes what Voide is trying to say, the Imperial princess simply gives a breathless, relieved laugh. She sees the corners of Voide's mouth twitch up, and it only makes her laugh some more, simply because she's got nothing else to say.</p>
<p>Despite the fact that she's not the type to be so joyful, despite the fact that Annabella has only ever heard her laugh out of sadistic amusement before, it doesn't take long before Voide's own cheery, relieved laughter joins her own.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Annabella & Josie - C-S</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>C Support</strong>
</p>
<p>Josie eyes the stables before them with trepidation. Beside her, Annabella, the Imperial princess, watches her facial expressions with some form of fascinated amusement.</p>
<p>"Josie, you grew up in a mountain village," Annabella says. "How is it that you're so petrified of horses?"</p>
<p>"Horses do not typically make their homes in mountains, Your Highness!" Josie says, voice trembling and in a rush. She shakes her head and takes a firm step back. "I'll do anything else. I'll go weed the entire academy grounds. I'll wax the knights' armor. I'll go be target practice for the Kingdom princess! But you will NOT get me to step a single toe into the stables, Your Highness, I'm sorry."</p>
<p>Annabella's hands fall to her hips, and she gives a deep sigh. "Josie, dear, this is hardly befitting of someone of your stature."</p>
<p>Josie scoffs. "'Stature'? I'm a little taller than you, Your Highness, but that's not exactly what the word means."</p>
<p>"No, but you have a Crest, do you not? A major one, even. The Crest of Cethleann." Annabella raises one eyebrow. "You must be descended from nobility, then. Even if you were raised in mountains."</p>
<p>Josie's nose scrunches up, and Annabella suddenly finds herself on the receiving end of the most disgusted, angry glare anyone has ever seen on a living being. "My fathers did not give up that life only for me to be forced into a stable against my will," she says. "I wasn't old enough to remember how I was treated, but I know that they wouldn't have told me not to ask about my heritage if I was treated <em>well</em>. I know they wouldn't have abandoned their stations to live in a sparse village on the border of the Empire and Kingdom <em>if they actually wanted me to give a</em> <em>shit </em>about 'nobility'."</p>
<p>Annabella is frozen and can't find a single thing to say.</p>
<p>Josie, meanwhile, is suddenly quite capable of both talking and walking - and demonstrates this ability by turning and storming away from Annabella. "Find someone else to help you with the horses. I'll be waxing some armor."</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>B Support</strong>
</p>
<p>"Josie...? Can I speak to you?"</p>
<p>The green-haired girl turns her head and blinks her blue eyes at Annabella. It takes a moment for her to realize what, precisely, the princess likely wants to speak of, and she promptly scowls. "I don't know, Your Highness. Can you?"</p>
<p>Annabella gives a weak smile, despite the fact that the comment was not meant to be a genuinely humorous one. "I, erm... I didn't realize that your... Lineage was such a sore subject for you. If I had known, I would not have made the comment I did, you have my word. You have my most sincere apologies." To solidify her genuineness, she lowers herself into a bow.</p>
<p>Josie stares at Annabella for a moment in silence. Eventually, she lets out a sigh, and she turns back to the book she was reading. "Then what sort of comment would you have made, Your Highness?" she asks neutrally.</p>
<p>"Pardon?" Annabella lifts herself slowly, blinking in confusion at Josie. "What do you mean?"</p>
<p>"You wanted me to help you in the stables, despite my fear of horses. So what would you have said instead, if not a comment on my 'lineage', as you put it?"</p>
<p>Annabella hesitates, staring at Josie for a moment. "I don't... Is this a trick question of some sort?"</p>
<p>Josie's lips twitch upwards slightly. "Perhaps. But even trick questions require an answer, you know."</p>
<p>"That is needlessly cruel..." Annabella mutters. But she thinks for a moment, wondering what sort of comment she could have given to not upset Josie at the time. "Well... I believe I would have stayed along the mountain line, then. After all, horses do not make their home in the mountains, but far more dangerous animals do, surely?"</p>
<p>"Mm, yes, they do. And I often took them down with the spells my father taught me, or with the axe my dad passed down to me."</p>
<p>"Right! And we weren't exactly supposed to kill the horses. Just feed them and clean up. And horses are much sweeter than whatever wild beasts were in those mountains! So... Yes, I believe that's what I might have said."</p>
<p>A thud resounds within the library. Annabella jumps, and Josie lifts herself to her feet. "I think that works," she says, tucking the book away into her bag. "When do you next have stable duty, Your Highness?"</p>
<p>"Huh? Uh... This weekend, I think? Or maybe the next. I'd have to check with Voide, she knows my schedule better than I do..."</p>
<p>"That is rather sad, you know," Josie says flatly. Annabella returns the comment with a shy smile, and Josie sighs. "Fine. Find out when you next have stable duty, and then come let me know. I'll clear my schedule for that day."</p>
<p>Annabella's eyebrows shoot up, and she beams, reaching out to grab Josie's hands. "You mean it?! Really?! So you forgive me?!"</p>
<p>"Forgiven, but not forgotten," Josie says in a tone that makes Annabella thinks she's just repeating it from someone else. "It's mostly to show that I know you're really sorry." She holds up a finger. "But I do have one request."</p>
<p>"Anything!"</p>
<p>"Get the horses out of the stables before I have to go in."</p>
<p>Annabella blinks. "I... Hm. I might be able to do that? I know that Rin was assigned to do patrols at some point so maybe I can talk to our professor and see if-"</p>
<p>"I don't care how you do it," Josie interrupts. "I just care that you do it. I refuse to go into an enclosed space with those... <em>Creatures</em>."</p>
<p>"Ah... Right, of course. I'll figure it out, then!"</p>
<p>Josie gives a short nod, and then heads off, likely to finish her reading in her room. Annabella sits down at the table that Josie had just been at, ready to consider her options...</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>A Support</strong>
</p>
<p>"I must admit, Your Highness, I didn't expect that you could pull it off," Josie says, dropping a bunch of hay into the trough for one of the horses. "I must thank our professor, too, I suppose."</p>
<p>"The other professors, too. For the Golden Deer and Blue Lions," Annabella says. "They all helped out and organized their students' patrol times to match up at once. Thanks to my suggestion, of course - you're welcome."</p>
<p>Josie huffs out a soft laugh and shakes her head in vague amusement. "Thank you, Your Highness. I truly do appreciate it."</p>
<p>Something in her tone makes Annabella pause. She hesitates before dumping a bucket of water into a separate trough. "Josie, may I ask... Why are you so utterly petrified of horses? We've established that they're not in the mountains, so I rather doubt that you've ever encountered one..."</p>
<p>Josie hesitates, her hands pausing for just a second before she continues on. Annabella can see her lips pursing in some sort of annoyance - though it doesn't seem to be directed at her, so...</p>
<p>"I have, actually," Josie mumbles out. "A while ago. You remember your parents stopped in my village while they were taking an... Unrecommended sabbatical, shall we say?"</p>
<p>"I think it was more a vacation. Sabbatical implies that it was quite a long period of-"</p>
<p>Josie gives Annabella a pointed look, and the Imperial princess promptly goes quiet.</p>
<p>"Well," Josie says, slowly and carefully, "at one point, I went to pet the horses that were pulling the carriage you'd all rode into town on, and..." She hesitates, then sighs. "Well, one bit me. Hard. And I was six at the time, so you can imagine how that event scarred me..."</p>
<p>Annabella thinks back for a moment. She'd known that she had met Josie once in her life before in the village the other had grown up in, but she must not have witnessed that event. "I see..." she whispers. She suddenly feels bad for trying to force her to help with the horses before. "I'm sorry," she says, eyes lowering to the ground. "That must have been scary..."</p>
<p>Josie shrugs. "I mean, the wound healed. I just never really got over that fear. Even when people tell me they don't eat meat or how gentle they are, I just think back to that one horse and..."</p>
<p>"I doubt that the horse was trying to eat you," Annabella says, before quickly realizing that that's not the point. "A-and it's okay to still be scared! When something scares you at a young age like that, it stays with you for a long time. I'm actually scared of cats because one scratched me when I was five, so..."</p>
<p>Josie huffs softly through her nose, glancing over at Annabella from the corner of her eye. Annabella can see the other girl struggling not to smile, and it warms her deeply. "I mean, even if a cat likes you, it'd probably scratch you," Josie says airily, eliciting wide eyes from the princess.</p>
<p>"What?! You're not serious, right?! I mean, even a cat knows not to hurt people it likes, right?! Right?!"</p>
<p>"Oh, look, I finished with my part of the work! See you later, Your Highness!"</p>
<p>"Wha-?! Josie! Get back here!"</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>S Support</strong>
</p>
<p>"Come now, Josie, it's not so bad..."</p>
<p>"It is," Josie hisses. Once more, the two of them stand before the stables. Unlike the last time they were here, the horses are very much inside. But Annabella was careful to select a time when there would be fewer than the norm - most of them have been taken out with the knights to do patrols.</p>
<p>"You'll be fine, Josie," Annabella says in the most soothing voice she can manage. "I promise you, you will. There are only a couple of horses in there."</p>
<p>"A couple as in two, or a couple as in a very small number?" Josie fires back, her wide eyes still staring at the entrance to the stable.</p>
<p>Annabella hesitates. "The... The second one. But I promise you that it's a far smaller number than there would normally be!" It doesn't seem to soothe Josie's worries, though. She sighs, and reaches out slowly. Her fingers make contact with Josie's wrist, and the other girl flinches before turning her eyes down to their hands.</p>
<p>Annabella slowly wraps her fingers around Josie's wrist, giving her a comforting squeeze. "You must face your fears at some point, Josie," she says firmly. "It is a scary endeavor, I know, but it is one that you must do nonetheless. You came here to learn how to be a knight, right?"</p>
<p>Josie hesitates for just a moment before giving a short nod.</p>
<p>"And let me ask you, then - what knight have you ever heard to be scared of horses?"</p>
<p>Josie swallows thickly, turning her eyes back to the stable. "Just... Don't let go of my hand?"</p>
<p>"I won't," Annabella promises.</p>
<p>"And don't leave my side, either."</p>
<p>Annabella giggles. "If I'm holding your hand, then I do not think I could leave your side."</p>
<p>Josie purses her lips, then gives a slow, careful nod. "Of course not," she murmurs. Then, at a more audible tone, she says, "Okay... I'm ready. Let's do this, Your Highness."</p>
<p>"In we go, then!" Annabella gently tugs on her wrist, leading her into the stables.</p>
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